"The Award for Best Decision Maker goes to ..... the Neutral Mind"
Mental confusion, uncertainty, not knowing, #stress; the pressure builds ... than comes the deep sigh, a sense of ease followed by clarity around what needs to be done. Hello Neutral Mind. Your wisdom is appreciated.
What this month has installed?
A quick overview of the numerology for this month of #April.
The #four energy is creating a playing field to listen deeply to the inner knowing that is the needle of the compass of your life. This is the space of intuition.
The path for April is the energy of the five, which focused on life being the teacher. This month will offer a wide range of experiences where you will be asked to return to the place of stillness within before moving forward with a decision.
The main tool for this month ahead it the art of #meditation.
"But have tried meditation and it doesn't work for me"
There is so much research and statistics out there about the benefits of meditation. How it improves your #health, #wellness and your general outlook on life. Considering this, how come so many people struggle with something that is so potent for one's #wellbeing? Don't get me wrong I am an advocate for meditation. Personally meditate daily .. but it has been a long road to being able to activate this skill.
For fun lets try something out right now, regardless where you are. Don't worry, you aren't going to be asked to go cross eyed, stick your tongue and roar like a lion... even though that is a wonderful pranayama.
So close you eyes. Notice your #breath. Keep observing the breath for five rounds. Whilst doing these breaths also be #aware of what else happens internally.
Did you notice how much your mind was thinking?
Personally, every time meditation starts, a feeling of resistance arises, the breath refuses to lengthen for a few good rounds, and the mind says the same things over and over again....
"Really, this again. Do we have too. There is so much more important and more beneficial things we can do right now besides just sitting still."
When the #mind is heard clear and loud, that is a true sign that the meditation has began.
Meditation is a process... At any time which is peaceful (the best is the early morning time, before the dawn), you’ll be surprised that in a couple of minutes a lot of thoughts will start coming to you—the X-rated thoughts, the ugly, angry thoughts. If you let those thoughts pass by, this is meditation. #YogiBhajan
Difference between Meditation and the Meditative Mind
There is some confusion around the process of meditation, hence why so many people state that they aren't able to meditation or struggle with this practice. The confusion lays in the difference between #meditating and the activation of the meditative mind, which is also referred to as the neutral mind.
Question Time
When you take a shower, do you just watch the water pouring out than trickling down the plug hole?
Or do you hop in the shower, use the body wash, scrub your nails, wash your hair and like Mum said wash behind you ears?
That is the difference between the meditative mind and meditation. Meditation is the actual process of taking the shower.
How often do you clean the physical body? Besides showering there are detox programs, cleansing juice fasts, colonic irrigation, enemas, green smoothies, salt rooms, float tanks and the list goes on and on for the number of ways we can #cleanse our physical body.
But what about the mind?
How often do you actually clear out the garbage within your #mind. What garbage do you say?
Still after a decade of a well developed meditation practice, have a jingle from an ad heard whilst a child that often floats around my head "Chew Chew #Broncos - Chew Chew Broncos!!!????####!!!!!???" And I don't even like football.
That is just one example of the endless debris our subconscious is subjected too an a daily bases.
And every day we are building more and more rubbish. Creating more landfill within the dump of our #subconscious mind. So no wonder, when a chance finally comes to sit within, our minds flips out and starts to download at an intense and constant stream.
THIS IS MEDITATION. It is the purging, the #detoxing , the cleansing out of the subconscious mind.
Why is this important?
Once the subconscious reaches its threshold, once the landfill quote is reached, than the rubbish tips into the #unconscious. When this happens the #toxicity of the mental heaviness becomes completely ingrained within our being and way of life. The very essence of your fibre is polluted. That is the importance of meditation.
Honestly it can be one of the most challenging experiences encountered. And it is like training for a marathon. It is the long road, with daily commitment, that requires a gradual extension of your capacity.
So why is there a notion that meditation is a blissful, calming, relaxing sensation?
This is really the reference to the neutral mind. The practice of meditation enhances the neutral mind and allows this aspect of the mind to be more accessible and available throughout your interactions and daily life.
How many of you have heard the saying "Hold your breath and count to ten" ?
This is directly referring to the activation of the neutral mind within your life. Let's try it out.
Right now contemplate an #issue, a concern, a problem within your life where there is confusion. Start small so you can have a realistic experience of the activation of the neutral mind.
Contemplate this issue for a moment.
Use the #negative mind to think of all the risks and reasons for not moving forward with any solution to address this issue.
Then look at all he possibilities around this issue. Think of all the happenings that could occur if you did say yes and let the #positivemind take over.
Than sit for a moment feeling the pull between the negative mind and the positive mind.
Whilst doing this take three deep and complete breathes.
Than on the forth inhale suspend the breath, making sure that you are relaxing the face and chest, than slowly count to 10.
Than exhale slowly and completely, suspending the breath out for as long as you comfortably can.
Than observe the mind.
There will be #clarity, a sense of #knowing and #direction. You may even receive #insight or #guidance to what actually needs to happen. What will be observed is that the pulls and struggles within the mind are no longer there.
This point of clarity is like a compass needle pointing you in the direction you need to go. You may not know the specific details around the decision or even the path you are taking. But the sense of ease and clarity offer #confirmation that this is the way to bring resolve to this issue.
More about the Neutral Mind
The Neutral mind is a state of #nonattachment - where opposites are integrated into one and value measured in #truth.
Intuition is the master tool for the Neutral Mind. #Intuition is the ability to go into a neutral space, through the act of deeply listening and know what is needed with no emotional involvement. And meditation, as just described above, offers the process to listen within.
Make meditation the art of life, make meditation the science of life, because only with that can you develop intuition, and with intuition you shall not have doubt. Yogi Bhajan
The greatest tool you have in your life is to listen. Why? If you listen, you will listen sensitively. And you will be shocked how fast you will become intuitive. Yogi Bhajan
The neutral mind when expanded allows one to:
be a great #observer internally as well as externally
utilize highly intuitive abilities
make clear assessments of situations and hone in on #organisation skills to assist with the implementation of direction received
be #tolerant and #nonjudgmental of #self and others
stay present in the here and now, creating a #discernment around the issues of the past and the worries of the future
The neutral mind is not actively enhanced throughout the education or expectation within Western society so it is easy for this aspect of our mind to come into conflict.
Often an awareness that the neutral mind is contracting, is all that is needed. This sense of awareness will create a centring back into deeply listening with a sensitively to that space of clarity and ease within.
Here are some aspects to observe to bring awareness to the constricting of the neutral mind:
being #rigid within your thoughts, plans and organisation. Not allowing any alternations or #flexibility to occur. From this, difficulty adjusting to change happens.
the loud voice of the opinionated judgement takes up residence with the mind. Comments are often directed towards the self. From this, critiquing occurs and intolerance arises.
having a mind ruled by thoughts which are judgmental and categorizing. The general rule of thumb is, if there is thinking then this is not intuition. If there is no active engagement of intuition than the neutral mind is being contracted.
To finish up on, a note of confirmation.
For all those, whom as children received report card comments such as #daydreamer or away with the #fairies, WAHA GURU. How very special. This was the activation and awakening of your neutral mind. The play of day dreams is where so many ideas are given birth before shifting into physical reality. So rejoice in this innate ability that you have.
Enjoy this month of the neutral mind.
Allow your day dreams to bring forth a clarity and ease, directing the path towards resolving the issues at hand.
Allow moments each day to create a deeper space of contentment within.
Allow guidance from listening in silence to this space within.
And most of all allow yourself to embrace the potent and true process of meditation.
These crucial life skills of dreaming, listening, intuition and meditating, are the tools that allow us to stay in balanced whilst learning the lessons that life teachers us.
Sat Nam Beautiful People
Thank you for reading the #blog. Trusting you found some insightful and useful #wisdom among these words. Would love to hear your views so please #comment And if you feel that others will benefit from this blog please #share.
Keep beaming your beauty
Vicki Murtagh
Founder of Mala Alchemy